Where does “Bleistift” come from?

Bleistift (German) comes from German blei, from Middle High German blī, from Old High German blīo, from Proto-West Germanic blīwī, from Proto-Germanic blīwiją, from Proto-Indo-European mliH-wó-s, from Proto-Indo-European mleh₁y- — to be weak, weary, tired.

Bleistift (German): pencil

Definitions

  1. pencil

Ancestry of “Bleistift”, step by step

Bleistift traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German blei

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanbleilead (chemical element - Pb, atomic number 82)
2Middle High Germanblī—
3Old High Germanblīometallic lead
4Proto-West Germanicblīwīlead
5Proto-Germanicblīwijąlead
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanmliH-wó-s—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmleh₁y-to be weak, weary, tired

via German Stift

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanStiftpen; pin; pencil
2Germanstiftento endow, to donate
3Old High Germanstiften—
4Proto-Germanicstiklaz—
5Proto-Germanicstikiza sticking, prick
6Proto-Indo-European(s)teyg-to be sharp; to sting

Words derived from “Bleistift”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European mleh₁y- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European mliH-wó-s →Every word from Proto-Germanic blīwiją →